- Broadcasters will have a window of just over two minutes to show adverts
- Fifa sponsors must be shown if a split-screen format is deployed
- Telemundo notes hydration breaks will provide “stories” to highlight
Fifa will reportedly allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during drinks break taken during every game at the 2026 World Cup.
Soccer’s governing body confirmed in December that a three-minute break would be held midway through each half at all 104 matches due to the expected high temperatures.
The breaks, which are promoted as a player welfare measure, will occur irrespective of the temperature. This means there will be guaranteed, lengthy pauses in play at every game.
According to The AthleticFifa has confirmed broadcasters will be able to show commercials during these hydration intervals.
One option will be to cut away from the match feed to the adverts during a two minute ten second slot. Broadcasters will only be allowed to show adverts 20 seconds after the referee’s whistle has paused play and must return to the match feed more than 30 seconds before play resumes.
Media partners will also have the option of showing commercials in a split-screen format. However, only official Fifa sponsors will be allowed to advertise in this scenario, while Fifa will also control the branding of the breaks in stadiums.
Foxwhich has the English language rights in the US, plans to introduce advertising while its Spanish language counterpart Telemundo will use the breaks to highlight ‘on-pitch moments’.
“I would say that I am a soccer fan first — meaning, I like to watch the game, and I like to listen to everything that happens, even during hydration breaks,” Joaquin Duro, executive vice president of sports for Telemundo, told The Athletic. “There’s a lot of stories to read with the coaches.”
While Duro clarified its sponsors “will definitely be present” during the broadcast, he also noted his scepticism about cutting away to commercials, noting that “soccer is different” to other North American sports.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that UK commercial network ITV is in talks with its partners about showing adverts during the drinks breaks. The broadcaster already deploys in-play advertising during its Six Nations broadcasts, with Samsung and Virgin Atlantic the first brands to trial the split-screen format.
The BBCwhich will share the rights to the tournament with ITV, is not allowed to show adverts.
SportsPro says…
Unlike American football, basketball or ice hockey where there are more natural breaks in play, soccer offers fewer natural breaks in play for television advertising. Meanwhile, soccer has traditionally been played in countries other than the US, where there is greater acceptance of commercials in live broadcasts.
With sports that can offer more advertising inventory experiencing greater growth in rights fees, Fifa’s hydration breaks have opened up a new revenue opportunity for media partners to maximise their ROI – and potentially increase the amount it can charge in the future.
Fifa will also welcome the opportunity to give its sponsors more exposure during the tournament.
However, the use of commercials will divide public opinion, particularly among soccer traditionalists. ITV’s use of in-game adverts during the Six Nations has been met with negative sentiment, according to data from Quantcast and YouGov.
And as Duro suggests, broadcasters may prefer to highlight pivotal coaching moments during the break as part of their coverage. This would help keep fans engaged during the interval, more so than the commercials.
Enjoying this content? We think you’ll be interested in our upcoming event, SportsPro New York.
Taking place at Marriott Marquis, Times Square on 12-13 March 2026, join the leaders shaping the business of sport, as we explore the forces transforming media, technology, and investment across North America.
